”I’m sorry,” Irene said sheepishly as she bows down again to the male idol whose name she can’t remember because he was stuttering with his introduction earlier. The said guy was trying to not look devastated as he bowed back at her before he hightailed away and out of her sight.

”Another one?” She swirled her head at the voice of Park Bogum. He was leaning against the door frame of their waiting room. Irene released a sigh before she walks inside the room with Bogum tailing behind her. Gosh, she’s supposed to get used to these things but it never fails to make her embarrassed and tired. ”That one was also handsome... and nice. He's been saying your name every chance he gets.”

Irene just shrugged as she retrieves her blanket and sits on the black leather couch.

”You’re pretty… I like you…”

”You’re my ideal type”

”Can I have your number please?”

Those words are now too common for Irene’s ears. They all say the same flowery words to her. They look at her with admiration, wonder and sometimes even lust. It would probably be easier for her to just say yes to all of them but no. People who don’t know her might think that she’s just a pretty face but she is not an easy woman who will be swayed by just that. Besides, it'll only be troublesome if she said yes to them for the sake of not hurting their feelings when they don’t even make her heart flutter. Not one bit. Her heart is pre-occupied these days. It just won't stop yearning for a certain someone. It's irritating, really.

Bogum approached her, handing her a bottle of water. ”Your standards are too high, noona,” he said, sitting on her right, ”or should I say that your standards are too specific?” he gestured with his hands in the air while smiling widely. Too widely that Irene wants to wipe it off his handsome face. Nope, she’s not going to respond to that and give him the chance to .

”Can we not talk about it, please.” If she had known that he will just every chance he gets about a certain someone then she wouldn’t have told him about it. Then again it’s her fault because she let herself feel vulnerable whenever the guy is around. The one time that she let her guard down and Park Bogum noticed how she follows the guy’s every movement.

She saw how Bogum smiled at her mischievously again and Irene was preparing to defend herself but there was a knock on their waiting room door. Seconds later the door opens and someone’s head popped in. Bogum smile knowingly at her when they recognized that boxy smile directed at them. She glared at her co-host but his attention was already at the person walking towards them.

”Taehyung-ah!” Bogum got up and embraced the newcomer. Irene tried to act nonchalant but failed miserably as V directed his large mesmerizing eyes at her and as if her heartbeat wasn’t drumming loud enough for the life of her, he just has to give her that dazzling smile after.

”Annyeong, noona.” His deep voice resonating inside the tiny room that it made Irene gulped before she said her greeting back which made the guy smile a little wider at her. Wait did he just drop the formalities with her?

He turned his attention back to Bogum. Irene doesn't know if she's going to be jealous of her co-host but the glances and smiles that V throws her way from time to time make up for it. She decided to not bully Park Bogum later.

Irene sat there as the two catch up, trying her best to not look at V. You can't blame her though. Seeing him up close like this reminds Irene that he’s not the same teenager that she once met back then. Gone was the awkward teen who always stutter whenever they bump into each other and is now replaced by a charismatic young adult. His silliness is still there but he's quieter now. He’s also beaming with confidence compared to before.

They were promoting Run and their stylist picked a good costume for this era. It looks good on him. Irene noticed how his height was slowly catching up to Bogum’s. The baby fats were starting to shed on his handsome face making it a lot sharper. He’s turning into a fine young man, Irene mused. A really really fine man. She thinks as she observes him. Black looks really good on him. All colors do if one thinks about it.

”Noona!” Bogum suddenly appeared in her view and Irene almost cursed if not for the fact that Bogum was looking at her knowingly. . She looked at the fidgeting Taehyung who was blushing and biting his lips as he inspects his shoes.

She wants to die. She got caught. Someone swallow her now, please.

”I’ll step out for a bit,” said Bogum, who was smiling like he just won the lottery. She takes back what she said earlier. She's going to skewer Park Bogum later.

”Oh." Don’t look at V. Don’t look at V. "Okay.” She kept her eyes on Bogum’s annoying face as he walks backward still mocking her before gesturing for Taehyung that they should go. Taehyung bowed at her direction without looking her in the eyes.

Irene mentally smacked herself for blatantly checking the guy out. Now he won’t even look at her. She watched Taehyung’s back as he follows Bogum out of the room but the guy suddenly stops near the door. He turns on his heels. His eyes were surprisingly confident as it met hers. ”You’re beautiful today, as usual. Yellow looks good on you, noona.” Irene's eyes doubled its size, her jaw opened in shock.

Did he just say that she's... beautiful? Wait, what? Her heartbeat was getting abnormally loud against her ears that she thinks she might just be hearing things. It could be anything, really. That infuriating cute smirk on his equally infuriating beautiful face says otherwise as he looks at her intently like he knows what ran through her mind earlier when she got caught.

Irene's face was burning as they shared a look. The air shift around them but none of them looked away. If it's not for Bogum calling him, Irene might have melted right on the spot with the way he stared at her. V bowed to her again, his eyes still holding hers as he his lip, smiling before he got out of the room.

It was a few seconds later that Irene finally moved from her spot, collapsing on the couch. She covers her blushing face as she recalls what had just transpired. That was the first time that he directly compliments how she looks and it really did make her feel beautiful. Damn. She rubbed her face, tired all of a sudden.

All they've been doing for the past couple of months was share looks and smiles across countless idols, corridors, and stages. The two of them somehow always manage to find each other that even Wendy was amazed by it. They message each other from time to time, becoming friends after he suddenly got her number from Baekhyun asking for Bogum's contact information out of nowhere.

The guy was a real social butterfly. He didn't mind her quietness and continues to talk to her until she felt comfortable enough to respond to him. He texted her from time to time too, asking if she's okay or telling her a job well done. It made her heart leap but she's holding back and only replying when he bombards her with a lot of emoji asking for her to reply.

Wendy and Baekhyun assured her, she didn't ask, mind you, that V likes her but she also knows that he looks at other beautiful female idols, remembering the time he greeted Tiffany during the ending stage of MBC’s year-end celebration.

She isn't sure what to make of it. She really shouldn't get her hopes up for the guy. He probably really just see her as a noona and would probably like someone who isn't a quiet mouse like her, someone of the same age or younger than him. Maybe that's just how he really is, kind and approachable to others and she's just giving a different meaning to all the looks that they shared.

A plain platonic relationship. That's what she should feel. Her heart just won’t agree with her at the moment but she’ll get there. She was already preparing herself to let go of her increasing attraction towards the guy because she's afraid that she'll get hurt if she gets too attached. It would be bad if she let her feelings out so she always wears her poker face, hiding behind it whenever he's around but the guy just had to say things like she's beautiful and looks at her like that earlier and she's back to square one again.

She sighed, closing her eyes. She felt a headache coming. A headache in the form of Kim Taehyung.

"Why?" Irene deeply sighs as she wills herself to not be angry at the guy in front of her.

Idol Star Athletics filming was still ongoing at the main gymnasium. The maknaes were complaining about being parched because of the extensive waiting time between filming. As the eldest and leader, it comes naturally for her to go backstage and look for some refreshments and maybe some snacks too. She was going back to the filming site with two plastic bags full of her haul when B.A.P.'s Himchan cornered her as she descends the staircase near the corridor leading towards the gym halls, saying that he needs to talk to her. Knowing what the "talk" was going to be, she told him a polite no but the guy couldn't get a hint and is now frowning at her.

"I can’t, sunbae-nim. I have to go back to my members," she said with regulated voice, raising the plastic bag in her hands. This was one of the reasons why she doesn't want to mingle with the opposite gender that isn't from her company. Guys like him just won't stop even if she already said no. She eyed him squarely as he stands there, blocking the way. He looks like he isn't going to let her go easily.

"I just need a few minutes." He slowly approached making Irene retreat. The corridor was just beyond him. She can make a run for it but the guy's built is big. This is too troublesome. She knows he won't do something bad because the place is full of cameras but it still doesn't stop her from being nervous.

"Look, I'm not a bad guy, okay? I just really want to ask you something." He raised his hands as if to say his harmless and stopped in front of her, just two feet away and he'll be in her personal space. Right. Not a bad guy just a plain creepy one. She holds the plastic bags in front of her as a form of barrier between them. Her mind was reeling on how to escape this situation when she heard a voice echoing against the empty halls.

"Noona?" Irene closed her eyes. Taehyung. She has never been thankful to hear his voice like this. They both turn to him and Irene have stopped herself from checking him out but damn, he looks so good in his blue athletic uniform with his hair tied like that and a black headband adorning